The infamous “Luger” is perhaps the only side arm more iconic than the American “.45.” Developed by Georg J. It remains an iconic gun of the inter-war era handgun and can be seen as Indiana Jones choice of side arms in the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. While primarily used by secondary and non-deployed troops, the M1917 saw service in both World Wars and even remained in service at the start of the Cold War. The result was the M1917 Revolver, which improved upon the 1890’s era. While it might seem anachronistic to develop a revolver following the development of the Colt M1911 pistol, the United States military had a shortage supplying the latter during World War I and turned to Colt and Smith & Wesson, two of the largest producers of civilian revolvers, to adapt their heavy-frame civilian side arms to the standard. M1917 Revolver, formally United States Revolver, Caliber. Just slightly more than 900 were stamped with the Nazi Waffenamt codes and these are highly sought after by collectors. It is worth noting that so many M1911A1s were produced during World War II that the government never actually ordered new pistols, and instead relied on existing parts inventories in the years following the war.Īs a side note, the Colt M1911 was also produced in Norway under contract prior to the war, and production continued after the German occupation. World War II production actually exceeded 1.9 million units, with versions produced by several companies including Remington Rand, Colt, Ithaca Gun Company, Union Switch & Signal and even Singer Sewing Machine company. Some 2.7 million M1911 and the later M1911A1 variation were produced throughout its long service with the U.S. Browning, and was the standard-issue side arm of the United States armed forces from 1911 to 1985, and is actually still used by some U.S. The pistol was actually designed by legendary gun maker John M. 45 ACP (automatic Colt pistol) cartridge. As noted by its famous moniker, it fired the. This single-action, semi-automatic handgun was magazine-fed and recoil-operated. Often known simply as the “.45,” the M1911 was actually a holdover from World War I.
Here is a look at the most famous and iconic side arms of World War II:
From the Colt M1911A1 to the German Luger P08 the guns had unique character of a bygone era. As a result, the handguns of the era have become quite iconic and in some cases even a bit infamous. Many soldiers carried handguns in addition to their main small arm, and this was especially true of machine gunners, paratroopers, military police - and generally any enlisted man who felt the need for a little extra firepower.Īs with the other small arms of World War II, most handguns were distinctive and unique to each respective nation. While military side arms are generally associated with noncommissioned officers (NCOs) and officers, the use of handguns was much more widespread in World War II. Hand Guns of World War II: Military Side Arms of the Major Combatant Powers By Peter Suciu
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